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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28012269">On That Trapeze</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82'>pandorabox82</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:49:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,323</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28012269</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Erin finds herself keeping her gaze on David as they enjoy an FBI gala together, only to have him surprise her with a small, important, question.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>David Rossi/Erin Strauss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>On That Trapeze</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <div class="storycontent nocopy">
    <p>Erin smiled with pleasure as she watched the people on the dance floor spin around and around in time to the music that was playing. She had begged off for a few moments, still finding herself winded after everything that she had recently endured at the hands of a madman. But it was good to sit back and revel in the fact that she was still alive and here, even if she had to take a break every now and then. "I brought you a glass of rose lemonade. It was either this or water, and I figured that something tasty might be nice."</p>
    <p>She looked up at Alex, her smile widening as she nodded and gesture for her to take a seat at the table next to her. "Thank you," she replied as she took the glass from her hands, sipping at it slowly as she purred with pleasure. "This definitely tastes delicious. Where's James?"</p>
    <p>"Dancing with JJ. I passed him off to her when I needed to get something to drink myself. Will had to go home and take care of Henry, since he wasn't feeling well, and he didn't want her to leave early." There was a slight pause before Alex spoke once more. "I can't believe that they've revived this after so many years in hiatus."</p>
    <p>"I think that our dear Ms. Garcia had a large hand to play in that. I may have heard some whispers passing through the halls and at budget meetings. And I do not begrudge her one bit, because this is exactly the thing that our team needed after what John put us through."</p>
    <p>Alex gave her a small smile as she reached out her hand and squeezed Erin's tightly. "If we had lost you, I don't know how I would have dealt with that. Even still, I thank a god that I didn't realise I still believe in that you came out the other side of things whole and still with us. While things aren't perfectly smooth between us yet, I am so glad that we're making inroads."</p>
    <p>"I'm glad for that, too." She squeezed Alex's hand tightly as she looked out at the crowd. "David's dancing with Penelope right now. Between you and her, well, I don't think that a woman could ask for better friends as she struggles to rebuild the shattered pieces of her life. Look at how beautiful they are out there."</p>
    <p>Alex followed where she was pointing to, nodding a little as she smiled. "As long as he returns back to you by the end of the night."</p>
    <p>"Oh, he does know where his heart returns to every night. Besides, I don't mind him dancing with Penelope. She's the dearest woman in the world, and has her eye on someone else in the BAU. Unfortunately, he is not currently free, so she continues to flirt with everyone."</p>
    <p>Alex laughed as she nodded. "Yeah, her mouth is going to get her in trouble one of these days. I'm surprised that she hasn't been called out on that yet."</p>
    <p>"I did have to have a talk with her once, after Jason left us for the final time. She asked me to talk dirty to me, and since we were on speakerphone at the time, I couldn't laugh. That was my first reaction, but that would have been inappropriate in front of everyone else."</p>
    <p>"That does sound like her."</p>
    <p>Erin giggled as she finished up her lemonade, setting the cup aside as she rose to her feet. "It does. Now, I feel like dancing once more. Will you be my partner for a few circuits around the dance floor?"</p>
    <p>"I would like nothing more." Alex stood and took hold of her hand, allowing Erin to lead her out onto the dance floor, and they both sighed happily when the tempo of the song shifted to something slower, allowing them to drift closer to each other as they swayed back and forth. "So, how are you adjusting to living with Rossi?"</p>
    <p>"How did you know that I'd moved in with him?" she shot back quickly, watching Alex roll her eyes as she twirled Erin around before pulling her close to her body once more. "Alex?"</p>
    <p>"Have you forgotten who we work with? Penelope knows everything before it happens, and if it's important, it gets disseminated around the office faster than you can say boo. She teased him about losing his bachelor pad at the briefing for our last case."</p>
    <p>She let out a huff of breath, trying to be frustrated, but finding that she wasn't, truly, bothered with the team knowing about the change in her living situation. "I suppose that it was bound to come out, sooner or later. It is rather lovely to have someone else in a home with me once more. And…"</p>
    <p>"Yes?"</p>
    <p>"I think that we're going to revisit the custody agreement. When you survive what I survived, well, it makes people rethink their past actions, my ex-husband included. But while we're waiting for our court date, I've been able to talk to them every night, and Karen visits whenever she can, and while I would have preferred that it hadn't taken my near death to change things between Alan and myself, I'll take this."</p>
    <p>Alex looked so happy at that news, and Erin nodded as they danced closer together once more, her friend's hands spreading out on her back in a tender embrace during a particularly slow part of the current song. "I know that this is what you wanted. Dave mentioned it a few times before everything went to hell. Seriously, your relationship was the worst kept secret ever. Our little dalliance was better hidden."</p>
    <p>"Only because, even today, people don't look at women who are close that way. We could have kissed on the cheek at work, and no one would have raised an eyebrow. And, we were better at being discreet."</p>
    <p>She laughed before leaning in and kissing Erin's cheek, as if to prove her point. Erin sighed as she rested her head on Alex's shoulder, finding herself entranced by the music and being in a close friend's arms. "Gumdrops! We have officially come over to cut in with you!"</p>
    <p>Erin lifted her head to look at Penelope, giving her a quizzical look as she stepped away from Alex. David was giving them an almost lecherous grin, and she shook her head a little as she stepped towards him, only for him to shake his head. "Who am I supposed to dance with, then, if not you?"</p>
    <p>"With me! We can't have Alex monopolizing all of your time, after all! I want a few songs with you before you get to spend the rest of the evening in the arms of your lusty Italian stallion."</p>
    <p>They all burst into giggles as they looked at David, and Erin's smile widened a little to see that he was blushing a little. "One second, then, Penelope," she replied softly before leaning in towards David and cocking her head to one side, trying to give him an inviting look. He nodded shortly before capturing her lips in a sweet kiss, and Erin was very hard pressed to step away from him and allow Penelope to dance them away from Alex and David. "So, why did you really want to dance with me? Trying to get some more juicy gossip?" she teased, hoping that Penelope could read her voice.</p>
    <p>"Well, I get the best gossip from Rossi already, and I don't want to intrude on your privacy, so that's clearly out the window. No, I was just thinking about how last year, at Jayje's wedding, I danced with everyone there but you. And since you almost died on us, well, I thought that I would take the opportunity to know what it's like to have you in my arms before it was too late. I'm always losing the people I'm closest to, and while I'm so grateful that Hotch was able to take Curtis down before he could hurt anyone else, I just…well, I'm glad that you're still here with us, and that I didn't fail. Again."</p>
    <p>Erin made a soft sound of commiseration in her throat as she stepped a little closer to Penelope, breathing in the delicate scent of her perfume as she stared into her eyes. "You haven't failed, ever. Yes, you've made a few mistakes along the way, but I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone that you've worked with has not made those same mistakes. And you have more than made up for those mistakes over the years."</p>
    <p>"I wasn't fast enough to stop him from getting at you. I should have known that someone would have been stalking us outside the copying of past cases. If I had been thinking…"</p>
    <p>"John would have found a way to get at me no matter what," Erin interrupted, before allowing Penelope to spin her around a little before tugging her close once more. "I know that's how you feel, because you try and try and try to make things perfect, but as I have learned far too many times in the last three years, life will never be perfect, we just have to play our hand as best we can."</p>
    <p>Penelope nodded a little as she curled her hand around Erin's shoulder almost possessively, and she smiled lightly as she caught David's eye over the younger woman's shoulder, giving him a small wink as he blew her a kiss before pulling Alex a little closer to his body. That sight caused wicked thoughts to enter her mind, and she coughed a little before arching an eyebrow at him, trying to see if he was on the same train of thought. From the way he returned her wink, she knew that he was, and in that she desperately wished that it was possible to bring Alex home with them. "What are you staring at?"</p>
    <p>"Why do you assume I'm staring at something?"</p>
    <p>"Because you answered that awfully fast, Erin. Let me guess, if I turned us around right now, I'd see Rossi and Blake. So, I guess the better question might be whose ass are you staring at?"</p>
    <p>Erin choked back a laugh as she shook her head. "I don't know what you mean."</p>
    <p>"Ooh, another deflection! My boo would have a field day with this!" Erin frowned at Penelope, but the younger woman just gave her a placid smile in return. "You are adorable, and I will keep your secret crush on Blake close to my heart, don't worry. Though I don't blame you for being attracted to her! She is sex on two legs in that dress!"</p>
    <p>"That is one way to describe her, yes," Erin murmured as they continued to sway in time to the music. "When this song is over, maneuver us over to them, I think that I want to dance with my lover now. If you don't mind."</p>
    <p>"No, that just means I get to watch you two! I mean, as if the kiss at the hospital wasn't sweet enough, I just have this feeling that watching you two dance will be even sweeter." Before she could respond, Penelope had leaned in and kissed her cheek softly. "I saw Alex steal a kiss earlier, and figured, since we're in a relaxed setting, I might be able to, as well. I hope you don't mind."</p>
    <p>"As long as you remember proper decorum when we're in the office, Penelope."</p>
    <p>The woman nodded before pulling Erin close once more, hooking her chin over her shoulder as they finished out the song, moving closer and closer to where David and Alex were dancing. "All right, I have to take my turn with Alex now, Rossi. And your ladylove has decided that she has been away from your arms for far too long."</p>
    <p>David waggled his eyebrows a little as he let go of Alex, nudging her gently towards Penelope before taking hold of Erin's hand and tugging her as close to his body as she could possibly be and still be considered decent in public. "I couldn't help but notice that look in your eye when I was dancing with Alex, <em>bella</em>. And I bet that you're kicking yourself over the fact that Alex is attached firmly at the hip to James. Aren't you?"</p>
    <p>"I think that you know that to be the truth, David. But at least you know how your night is going to end now." She turned her head and kissed him softly before sighing as his hand slid down her back until it was resting on her bum, squeezing lightly as she spread her hands out on his back. "But it is ever so nice to have dreams." She let out a light laugh when David spun her around a few times, feeling slightly dizzy at the movement. "Be careful, darling, I wore my highest heels tonight so that I would be able to kiss you without having to lean up, and I don't want to end up with a broken ankle."</p>
    <p>David nodded as he pulled her close once more, and they kissed gently before starting to dance once more. "But I would nurse you back to health for however long it took you to recuperate. Just think, sponge baths, massages, meals in bed…"</p>
    <p>"You make being a short term invalid sound better and better, David. But it would be really hard to make love if I had a cast on my ankle. I can only imagine the bruises I would leave on your thighs and hips." He let out a deep laugh as he nodded before planting another kiss on her lips. "You are incorrigible, David."</p>
    <p>"Would you have it any other way, <em>bella</em>? If we weren't surrounded by our friends and colleagues, I'd be a little more forward with you, but as it is, I need to stay proper. You have a reputation to maintain, after all."</p>
    <p>Erin sighed a little as she rested her head on his shoulder, their bodies swaying in time to the music. "I feel like I'm on a trapeze right now."</p>
    <p>"Oh?"</p>
    <p>"Yes, like I'm soaring high above everyone here, with the possibility of falling if my hands slip, but knowing that you'd always be there to catch me. Because your eye is always watching me, like I'm a mirror ball."</p>
    <p>"I watch you more now because I took my eyes off of you for what felt like five minutes and nearly lost you. So I will always try to be there to catch you, if you slip." He pressed a kiss to her head, and then they sighed in unison as the song shifted to something a little slower, and Erin contorted her body so that she was as close to him as she could possibly get and still be considered decent in public. "You're mine, until the end of time, Erin."</p>
    <p>"I like the sound of that."</p>
    <p>"Then you might like the sound of something else, too," he said as he maneuvered her over to the edge of the dance floor. "I'm not young enough to get down on one knee, and I don't think that you would really want this to be a spectacle. But when I was faced with the very real possibility of no longer having you in my life, I knew that if God would be so kind as to give you back to me, I wouldn't squander that opportunity." He let go of her for one moment so that he could slip his hand into his front pants pocket, pulling it out moments later and holding it out so that she could see an antique ring lying in the upturned palm. "Erin, will you marry me?"</p>
    <p>She found herself a bit speechless as she plucked the ring from his hand, looking at it closely. "I think that you know my answer, but yes, of course. Do you want to slip this into place?"</p>
    <p>He nodded and took the ring back before taking hold of her left hand and sliding it home on her ring finger. "So, when do you want to get married?"</p>
    <p>A throaty laugh slipped from between her lips. "Would you mind if I said now? I mean, I know we can't get married right this minute, we have to get a marriage license, and find someone to perform the ceremony, if we want to just go the civil ceremony route. But if you want to get married in church, that might take a little extra time, since we'll have to rent the church and make certain your priest can do the deed. And I've never been to a Catholic wedding before, so I don't know the rules we would have to follow, but I do know that whatever you want, I want."</p>
    <p>David gave her a wide smile as he pulled her back into his arms and led her onto the dance floor once more. "I can't really get married in church any longer. Catholics ostensibly are still against divorce, and I've had three of them, so the holy sacrament doesn't really apply to me any longer. Though you don't mind if I'm a little wicked, do you?"</p>
    <p>She let out a little squeak when he squeezed her bum before pulling her hips tight to his, allowing her to feel just how wicked he was feeling in that moment. "I don't mind that at all, but it does make me wish that we were home so that we could take care of this."</p>
    <p>"That could always be arranged." He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she shook her head. "Why not?"</p>
    <p>"Because we rarely get to have a night out like this, and I am enjoying dancing with you. Let me feel publicly pretty for a little while longer, and then you can make me feel privately naughty. Okay?"</p>
    <p>"All right." They began to dance once more, only for a few throats to clear around them minutes later. "What are you all looking at?"</p>
    <p>Erin pulled her head away from his chest to see that the rest of the team had surrounded them at some point, knowing grins on their faces. Feeling a little self-conscious, Erin stepped closer to David as she smiled at Alex, hoping that she would take the lead. "We're looking at you, Dave. And the fact that you thought we wouldn't notice you proposing to Erin, even though you tried to make it as inconspicuous as possible. Congratulations are in order?" Aaron asked as he looked expectantly at Erin. Blushing, she extended her hand and allowed him to pick it up. "Your grandmother's ring?"</p>
    <p>"Mama's wouldn't fit Erin's finger, she had thicker fingers. But Grandma always had the same delicate digits that Erin does."</p>
    <p>Knowing the importance of the ring, Erin began to tear up again, and then Alex was taking hold of her hand, tugging her close to her side before hugging her tightly. "I didn't know that tonight would be the night, but it makes sense, since this is a happy time for us all. And this ring suits you so much!"</p>
    <p>"I had the waiter see if he could scrounge up a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne for us, since we have to celebrate!" Penelope was crying openly, which opened the floodgates for Erin, and she giggled a little as all the women surrounded her, wrapping her in a warm hug. Sighing a little, she burrowed close to Alex's chest, knowing that that would be a safe space for her to rest as they chattered on excitedly about her upcoming nuptials. Looking over Penelope's shoulder, she met David's eyes once more and gave him a knowing smile as she gave herself over to the happiness of the occasion, hoping that this was just the beginning of a wonderful life together for them.</p>
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